Barber chair with manicure socket



S 6, 1966 J. A. DLOUHY ETAL 3,271,070

BARBER CHAIR WITH MANICURE SOCKET Filed April 9, 1965 United States Patent 3,271,070 BARBER CHAIR WITH MANICURE SOCKET John A. Dlouhy, River Forest, and Paul A. Springer, Palatine, Ill., assignors to Emil J. Paidar Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 446,853 5 Claims. (Cl. 297194) The present invention relates to improvements in bar- =ber chairs and more particularly to an improved barber chair arm structure adapted for adjustably supporting a manicure tray.

The barber chair is required to perform a number of functions for supporting an occupant and permitting operations to be performed on the occupant while he is positioned in the chair. The conventional operations including the cutting of his hair, shaving, shoe shining and the like and, in addition, the manicurist frequently operates on the occupant. It is desirable that the manicurist perform her operation without interfering with the other functions and without incurring discomfort to the occupant.

One of the difficulties encountered has been that the conventional barber chair has a reclining back so that the occupant can be in any one of a number of positions from an upright sitting position to a reclining position. As the occupant is positioned further toward the reclining position his arm is pulled rearwardly further from the front of the side armrest of the chair. The manicurist trays heretofore have had a positive operating position which has been convenient for only one position of the occupant and one position of the backarmrest. Further, the position of the manicurist tray has not been comfortable for chair occupants having different arm lengths. In other words an occupant with a short arm may feel strained while an occupant with a long arm may feel cramped.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved support for carrying a manicurist tray on a barber chair which is easily and immediately adapted to be located in an optimum position and which accommodates a change in position of the occupant as the barber chair backrest position is changed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved support for a manicurist tray on a barber chair which avoids the disadvantages of supports heretofore available and provides a more readily operable and adjustable reliable support.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved manicurist tray support structure which performs a dual function including extending the operating life of an upholstered barber chair arm structure.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent with the teaching of the principles of the invention in connection with the disclosure of the, preferred embodiments in the specification, claims, and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a barber chair with a manicurist tray support constructed and operating in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of an arm of the barber chair showing the construction of 3,271,070 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 ice the lower surface thereof and of the manicurist tray support; and

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view taken substantially along line 11-11 of FIGURE 2, with portions broken away.

As shown on the drawings:

As shown in FIGURE 1, a barber chair has a base 10 for resting on a floor surface, with an upright column 11. The column supports a 'barber chair frame which is rotatable and elevatable on the column. Carried on the frame is a front footrest assembly having side arms 13 and 14 with a platform 12 therebetween. A footrest 15 is also supported on the side arms.

The occupant sits upon a seat 16 carried on the frame and is supported by a backrest 17 at the rear edge of the seat. The backrest is pivotally supported on pivotal mounts, not shown, on the frame so that it moves from the upright solid line position to the dotted line reclining position. Usually a mechanical link-age interconnects the backrest 17 and the footrest for simultaneous movement and a locking arm 21 locks the backrest in a desired position.

At the sides of the seat are .armrests 18 and 19 suitably mounted and secured to the frame. The armrests are shown carried on open metal upright braces 18a and 19a.

At the side of the armrest for a manicu-ring operation are carried a manicure dish 20 and a manicure tray 22. These are supported on support pins 23 which are normally in the form of a vertical cylindrical downwardly extending pin or rod which drops into a socket on a holder 24.

Each of the side arms 18 and 19 is of substantially similar construction and therefore only one need be described as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

The side armrest 19 is upholstered and has a sheet form material 26 such as leather or plasti stretched over the upholstering with its edges 26a and 2612 drawn down beneath the lower surfaces at the outer edges of the arm. The edges 26a and 26b are suitably secured such as by tacking or by cement. The ends of the sheet material 26 are protected by caps 25 and 25a of metal or other decorative material.

Beneath the lower surface at the outer edge of each of the arms is a track means 29. The track 29 is shown as having an inverted U-shape with screws 30 extending upwardly through holes in the track and turned into the arm 19 to secure the track firmly in position. The arm may have a framework of wood for affording rigidity and for being secured at its ends to the vertical arm supports 18a and 19a, as shown in FIGURE 1.

The track 29 has a smooth finish so that it can be gripped or brushed against by the hand of the occupant and the metal track may be finished such as being painted or chrome plated to provide an attractive edge for the arm. Further the track firmly clamps the covering sheet 26 in place below the arm. A significant feature of the track is that it prevents the occupant from inadvertently pulling the edge of the covering material 26 off of the arm. It is not unusual for a chair occupant to nervously pick at the upholstering material beneath the lower surface of the chair and this frequently results in early defacing and damaging of the upholstery. However, with the track providing a protective edge this is prevented.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the track is generally of an inverted U-shape having a channel or groove 31 with downwardly extending side edges 33 and 34. These side edges provide upwardly facing shoulder surfaces against which a nut 34 is clamped. The side edges or flanges 32 and 33 also provide downwardly facing surfaces against which the holder 24 is clamped. The holder is formed with an upwardly facing channel 24a which is shaped to fit over the track.

The holder has a vertically drilled hole 35 for receiving a threaded end 38 of a locking screw which has a knurled head 37. As will be observed, by tightening the locking screw the nut 34 is pulled down inside of the track 29 and the holder is pulled up tightly against the track.

The holder has an upright column portion 39 which extends upwardly outside of the arm 19 and which has laterally inwardly projecting ridges 40 which stabilize the column portion 39 by engaging against the outer side surface 19b of the arm.

The upper tube of the ridges have a vertical hole or socket 41 which receive the vertical pin 23 of the manicurist pan and tray 22.

Thus the holder 24 can be left on the chair arm and the pan 20 and tray are removed by merely lifting the pin up out of the socket 41.

When the tray 22 and pan 20 are in position they can he slid to any desired location along the arm and locked in that location. Thus as the chair back 17 is set to any location, the manicurist pan and tray can be similarly slid forward or rearward on the arm to the most comfortable location for the 'chair occupant. This location is dictated by the position of the back and by the length of the occupants arm. The tray and can can be locked in position or if it is anticipated that the barber will suddenly move the backrest down toward the reclining posi tion, the manicurist can leave the holder unlocked by leaving the screw 36 slightly loose so that the pan or tray will be pulled rearwardly with the chair occupants arm as he moves rearwardly, preventing him from being injured.

A holder such as 24 can be provided for each side of the chair or, if the manicurist desires, the holder can be carried from one side to the other. Since the holder is of a construction that it will fit on either side arm only one standard holder need be manufactured.

Thus it will be seen that we have provided an improved barber chair arm structure with a holder for a manicure tray which meets the objectives and advantages above set forth. The structure is simple in operation and construction and attractive in appearance and provides not only an adjustable support but a support of improved rigidity and reliability as constrasted with holders heretofore available.

The drawings and specifications present a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms disclosed, but covers all modifications, changes and alternative constructions and methods falling within the scope of the principles of the present invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a barber chair having a seat,

a back at the rear of the seat movable between an erect position and a reclining position,

and horizontally elongate side arm rests,

the combination comprising:

an elongate slide track means mounted on one of the arms substantially paralley thereto extending toward the front and extending toward the rear of the chair, a holder slidably mounted and supported on said track means and shiftable therealong to diiferent positions,

and means for locking said holder in any one of said positions so that the holder may be repositioned and locked at different locations along said arm with change in position of said back to accommodate the change in position of a chair occupant.

2. In a barber chair having a seat,

a back at the rear of the seat movable between an erect position and a reclining position,

and horizontally elongate side arm rests,

the combination comprising,

an elongate track means secured to one of the side arm rests and extending therealong,

and a holder mounted on said track means and movably mounted thereon adapted to receiving and holding a manicure tray so that said holder may be repositioned 'at different locations along said arm with change in the position of said back to accommodate the change in position of a chair occupant.

3. In a barber chair having a seat,

a back at the rear of the seat movable between an erect position and a reclining position,

and horizontally elongate side arm rests,

the combination comprising,

upholstering over said arms including a protective cover of sheet form material attached at its edges on the lower surface of the arms along the side edges,

a track positioned on the lower surface of one of the arms at the outer edge over the edge of said sheet form lmaterial clamping it to the undersurface of the arm,

said track having a relatively smooth unifonmly downwardly facing surface so that the occupant of the chair can grip said surface,

a holder mounted on said track and movably mounted thereon adapted for receiving and holding a manicure tray so that said holder may be repositioned at different locations along said track and said arm with change in position of said back to accommodate the change in position of a chair occupant.

4. In a barber chair having a seat,

a back at the rear of the seat movable between an erect position and a reclining position,

and horizontally elongate side arm rests,

the combination comprising,

upholstering on one of said arms including a sheetlike covering extending down over the lower edges of the arm and attached to the lower surface there of,

i an elongate generally U-shaped inverted track secured to the outer lower edge of the chair arm,

said track having a center elongate recess between downwardly extending sides each having upwardly facing shoulder surfaces,

a nut member slidable in said track with downwardly facing side surfaces resting on said upwardly facing surfaces of the track and having a threaded opening,

a holder slidable against said track means defining a vertical opening through the holder,

at headed threaded screw in said opening with the up per end of the screw threaded into said nut opening to clamp the holder and nut against the track and lock the holder in position,

a vertical column portion on the holder having projections engageable with the side surface of the arm for establishing the vertical position of the holder,

and a vertical upwardly facing socket in the column portion for receiving a support for a manicure tray.

5. A barber chair comprising a base for resting on floor surface with the central upright column,

a frame mounted on the column for elevation and rotation relative to the base,

a seat mounted on the frame,

a footrest mounted on the frame,

a pivotally mounted back on the frame at the rear of the seat,

side arms at each side of the seat,

means for adjustably locking the back in a selected position between an upright position and a reclining position,

upholstering on the side arms including a sheet form 5 6 cover Wrapped over the arms with edges secured References Cited by the Examiner beneath the edges of the 81 1118, UNITED STATES PATENTS each of said arms having an elongate metal track secured beneath the outer edge of the arm over the 3 1 g2 f the q e mammal 5 2,375,565 5/1945 Liakopulos 297-194 X ashde member 9 track 2,477,898 8/1949 Rehman et a1. 248-118 said track being U-shaped W1th upwardly facing 2,909,215 10/1959 Mitchell 297 194 X surfaces carrying the slide member, a holder below said track, FOREIGN PATENTS means for locking the slide member and holder in a 10 940,114 5/1948 F n e,

selected position,

and an upright portion on the holder having a socket FRANK R Primary Examiner for receiving and carrying a manicure tray. J T M CALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BARBER CHAIR HAVING A SEAT, A BACK AT THE REAR OF THE SEAT MOVABLE BETWEEN AN ERECT POSITION AND A RECLINING POSITION, AND HORIZONTALLY ELONGATE SIDE ARM RESTS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: AN ELONGATE SLIDE TRACK MEANS MOUNTED ON ONE OF THE ARMS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEY THERETO EXTENDING TOWARD THE FRONT AND EXTENDING TOWARD THE REAR OF THE CHAIR, A HOLDER SLIDABLY MOUNTED AND SUPPORTED ON SAID TRACK MEANS AND SHIFTABLE THEREALONG TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS, 